Adam Morrison: Can L.A. Save His Career?

Remember when Gonzaga alum Adam Morrison was a college basketball god?

You know, three years ago, when he and Duke University's J.J. Redick were competing on the hard court. Both players averaging 28 points per game.

Do you remember when the Charlotte Bobcats took a chance on him with the third overall pick?

Charlotte started Morrison then benched him. Then started him and benched him again. The Bobcats gave him a ton of minutes, and then gave him no minutes.

How about when he tore his ACL last season? Everyone shrugged their shoulders, as if it didn't matter.

"Matt Carroll will step up," they said.

Because Morrison was nothing special. After all, these days it only takes one year to decide a player's fate.

Rotoworld.com was labeling Morrison a bust before his rookie season was over. He was dissed, and probably rightfully so, for wearing his long hair in a ponytail, made fun of for his "porn" moustache, and eventually, forced to create a new identity.

Morrison tried to put the failures behind him. Beginning the 2008 season with a shaved head, a new coach, and only the memory of how his knee betrayed him.

He put in hard work trying to get his mind right, put complete faith in his knee, and attempted to gain back all the confidence he had lost after the worst two years of his life.

And then, as many predicted from the beginning of the season, a ray of light or dark cloud came in the form of a trade.

So, in summary, college success, the draft, the rookie season that we all would love to forget, the injury, and finally, the trade.

It is like Morrison's entire life is being broken down into small, cliched titles. As if we are trying to label Seinfeld episodes or write short stories about his career. But that is not what I came here to do.

I came here to tell you that it is time for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and hell, even Lamar Odom to enter. It is time for Morrison to salvage his career.

Do the Lakers, let alone any team, actually want this society-dubbed "scrub" jacking up jumpers for their team, not playing defense, and showing up all gangly and disheveled? Do they actually want another Kurt Rambis?

Even though you are likely to disagree with me, I think the answer has to be "yes."

For you, your kids, your friends, and the NBA's future. Not because he is the "great white hype," or the "next Larry Bird." But because he truly lives for this game, and he is actually good enough to play.

Morrison represents everything that guys like LeBron James don't.

He's not the most athletic. He doesn't blow you away with dunks, cross-over dribbles, or in-your-face blocks. Morrison probably won't ever pour in 20 to 30 points every night.

Morrison is old-school. He wears headbands and goggles, high multi-colored socks and high-top, floppy-tongued sneakers. He's pure jazz, baby. And Morrison is exactly what the game needs.

Truth be told, the question is not whether the Lakers want him, or whether or not you, the fans, want him to succeed or not. It is if he believes it.

As just one writer, and just one fan of the game, I do.

I can safely say that, defensive liabilities aside, this Morrison-goes-to-L.A. deal could very well be the best thing that ever happened to Kobe Bryant. That is, if the Lakers don't trade with the Suns and get Shaq back again.

So, who's with me?

Lets promote Morrison. Lets beg for him to grow out his hair. Keep his 14-year-old's moustache. Keep the socks long and the headband wrapped around his head.

Lets bring this kid back to life.